Noticing that two people can experience the same moment in very different ways.
Exploring how assumptions shape the way we interpret what others do.
Considering how someone might feel when they realise their first understanding was incomplete.
Thinking about how having more information might change the way we respond to a situation.
Building awareness of what it feels like to be on the receiving end of an assumption.
An elderly woman is waiting at a train station and buys a packet of snacks from a vending machine. She sits on a bench and begins eating from the packet. A teenage boy sits beside her and also takes snacks from the packet. The woman becomes frustrated, assuming the boy is helping himself to her food without asking. When she boards her train she finds her own unopened packet of snacks in her bag, and realises she had been eating from his the whole time.
• What did you notice about the woman's behaviour?
• What did you notice about the boy's behaviour?
• What did the woman assume was happening?
• What information did the woman not have at the time?
• How do you think the boy felt when the woman reacted to him?
• How might the woman have felt when she found her own snack in her bag?
• Can you think of a time you assumed something that turned out to be different?
• What might the woman and the boy say to each other if they could talk after the mix up?
• What are some of the ways you could attempt to see a situation through the other person's perspective?
The questions within this guide are designed to open dialogue and facilitate discussion around the relevant topics. It is up to the user to adapt as needed to best suit the person they are supporting. A neuroaffirming approach was central to the design of these resources and remains essential to their application. This means recognising and respecting the diverse ways people think, communicate, and experience the world, ensuring all conversations are led with curiosity, respect, and without judgement. These resources are a starting point. Trust your knowledge of the person you are supporting to shape the conversation from there.
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